Apparatus and method for exchanging message between portable devices of the same kind

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus capable of transmitting/receiving a message between persons carrying devices of the same kind, together with a desired reproduction time of the message, when the devices are connected to or come close to each other. The message exchanging method according to the present invention comprises the steps of storing a message and its desired reproduction time; checking whether an outer device is the device of the same kind based on a signal from the outer device; transmitting the message and its reproduction time to the outer device according to the check result; and reproducing the message in the outer device at the reserved time for reproduction of the message. According to the present invention, it is possible to let persons who carry portable device of the same kind for exchanging private messages listen to the messages at the desired time, which is set by the person at the transmission side.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus formessage exchange, and more particularly, to a method and apparatuscapable of transmitting/receiving a message between persons carryingdevices of the same kind, together with a desired reproduction time ofthe message, when persons carrying the devices come close to each otheror the devices are connected to each other, and detecting partner'spresence when a partner carrying the counterpart device comes within apredetermined distance.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, terminal devices of public communication networks suchas telephone, pager, and personal computer have been in use to delivermessages to persons who are distant from each other. In addition toinconvenience, time and cost are needed to send and receive messagesover public networks. Moreover, in the message transmission over thepublic networks, the time when a message is delivered to the receptionside is totally determined by the caller at the transmission side.Hence, a message may not be delivered to persons at the reception sidefor several reasons such as the person's absence.

Answering machine or voice mailing system have been developed and usedto store messages which otherwise would not be listened to by the personat the reception side. However, retrieving and listening to thedelivered message requires for the person to operate such apparatuses.In other words, it is rare that the person at the reception side getsand listens to the message at the very time that the caller wants theperson to listen to the message. Message transmission through suchterminals over the public networks is net satisfactory to persons whowish to become in intimate relationship with each other by exchangingprivate messages s and letting the partner to listen to the messages ata treated time.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide amethod and apparatus capable of transmitting/receiving a message betweenpersons carrying devices of the same kind, together with its desiredreproduction time, when the devices are connected or come close to eachother, thereby the exchanged message being reproduced automatically atthe desired time.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method andapparatus which enables to inform the presence of a partner carrying adevice of the same kind, which is designated as the counterpart device,when the partner comes within a predetermined distance.

To achieve the objects, the present invention provides an apparatus forexchanging messages between portable devices of the same kind,comprising receiving means for receiving a signal containing a message;input means for entering a desired reserved time to reproduce themessage; a memory for storing the message and the reproduction timethereof; connection means for connecting to another device; transmittingmeans for transmitting the message and its reproduction time stored inthe memory.

The apparatus for exchanging message between portable devices of thesame kind according to the present invention comprises connecting meansfor connecting to another device; receiving means for receiving datathrough the connection means; a memory for storing the received data; aclock unit for counting the present date and time; determining means fordetermining whether or not the reproduction time of the received datacorresponds to the present time; and reproduction means for reproducingthe received message according to the determination result.

The method of exchanging message between portable devices of the samekind according to the present invention is characterized in that, in areception mode, it comprises the steps of examining whether an outerdevice is the device of the same kind based on a signal received fromthe device; receiving message and its corresponding reproduction timewhich are included in the data from the outer device; storing thereceived message and its reproduction time; checking continuouslywhether the reproduction time of the message corresponds to the presenttime; and reproducing the message when they corresponds to each other.

The method of exchanging message between portable devices of the samekind according to the present invention is also characterized in that,in a transmission mode, it comprises the steps of storing a message tobe transmitted, together with a desired reproduction time; examiningwhether an outer device is the device of the same kind based on a signalreceived from the outer device; and transmitting the message and itsreproduction time to the device when it is determined that hey aredevices of the same kind.

The method of exchanging message between portable devices of the samekind according to the present invention is further characterized in thatit comprises the steps of receiving a signal from an outer device withina signal reception range; confirming whether or not the device is thedevice of the same kind which is designated as the counterpart device,i.e., the device which is in one-to-one communication correspondence onthe basis of the received signal; and generating a sound when the outerdevice is identified as the counterpart.

In the method and apparatus for exchanging message between portabledevices of the same kind according to the present invention, a userinputs a message that he or she wants to send and then enters a desiredreproduction time of the message through the input means. The messageand its corresponding reproduction time are stored in the memory.

At the state where a message is stored, when the connection means isconnected to or gets close to that of another device of the same kindwithin a signal reception range of the connection means, thetransmitting means transmits the message to the reception side device,along with the associated reproduction time.

On the other hand, the reception side device receives the message fromthe transmission side device and then stores the message in the memory.Then, the determining means keeps checking whether or not the presenttime which is counted by the clock unit corresponds to the reproductiontime of the message.

The message in the memory begins to be reproduced by the reproductionmeans when the present time becomes equal to the reserved reproductiontime, allowing the person carrying the device to listen to the messageat an unexpected time.

According to the present invention, it is possible to let persons whocarry portable devices of the same kind listen) to a private message ata desired reproduction time which is set by the person at thetransmission side, by automatically exchanging the message and thedesired reproduction time thereof when the persons come close to eachother. The present invention, therefore, may help persons who want tobecome intimate with each other, develop friendship or love, andincrease their pleasure of meeting each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention, illustrate a preferred embodiment ofthis invention, and together with the description serve to explain theprinciples of the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an appearance of a wrist watchembodying the message exchanging apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a preferred embodiment of themessage exchanging apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing another preferred embodiment ofthe message exchanging apparatus of the present invention; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are flow charts respectively depicting the methods ofmessage transmission and message reception according to the presentinvention.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be describedbelow in detail referring to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 depicts an appearance of a wrist watch embodying the apparatus ofthe present invention, and a preferred embodiment of the apparatus formessage exchange between portable devices of the same kind (here, thewrist watch of FIG. 1) is shown in FIG. 2. The preferred embodiment ofFIG. 2 comprises an amplifier 10 for amplifying a voice signal receivedthrough a microphone Mic; an A/D converter 11 for digitizing theamplified signal; an encoder 20 for compressing and encoding thedigitized signal; a clock unit 30 for counting the present time; aliquid crystal device (LCD) 90 for displaying digital data; LCD controlunit 91 for converting digital data to signal fitted for the LCD 90; akey pad 40 for entering a user's input; a memory 52 for storing theencoded voice data and the reproduction time thereof; a flash memory 51for storing identification(ID) codes of the portable device and thecounterpart device; a connector 61; an RS232C 60 for serialcommunication through the connector 61; a decoder 70 for decoding theencoded voice data; a D/A converter 73 for converting the voice datainto analog signal; a driving amplifier 81 for amplifying and applyingthe analog signal to a speaker; and a MICOM (micro-computer) 50 foroverall control of the above-described elements.

With reference to flow charts of FIGS. 4 and 5, the embodiment of thepresent invention shown in FIG. 1 will be described below in detail.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, first, a user presses REC button on the keypad 40 and starts to record a voice message through the Mic (S1). Uponthe recording is completed, the user presses the REC button again toinform the MICOM 50 of recording completion (S2). The voice signal isamplified by the amplifier 10 to a predetermined level, digitized by theA/D converter 11, and fed to the encoder 20. The digital data compressedand encoded by the encoder 20 is stored in the memory 53. After therecording, the play time information (including “day/month/year”information) of the recorded voice message is entered through the keypad 40 (S3), and then is stored in the memory 52, with linkageinformation to the recorded voice message (S4). Meanwhile, the presenttime which is counted by the clock unit 30 is displayed on the LCD 90.

When at least one voice message is kept in the memory 52, if theconnector 61 is connected to the that of another device of the samekind, a level change (from floated high to low) of a particular pin dueto the connection to the device occurs in the RS232C 60 and then is usedto inform the MICOM 50 of an establishment of the connection. Then,while reading out its own ID code from the flash memory 51 and sendingthe ID code to the connected device, the MICOM 50 receives a signal fromthe connected device through the RS232C 60 (S11). A comparison is madeas to whether or not the ID code in the received signal is matched withthat of the device, which is designated as the counterpart to the devicereceiving the signal, in the flash memory 51 (S12).

When it is determined that both ID codes are matched (S21), if any, theMICOM 50 sends all of the voice message in the memory 52 to thecounterpart device through the RS232C 60 and the connector 61, alongwith the associated reproduction time information (S22). As a result,the message exchanging apparatus installed in the counterpart devicereceives the messages and, in turn, sends messages stored in its memory,if any, through the same routine of S1 to S22. This way, messages andtheir reproduction time information are exchanged between the twocorresponding portable devices.

Upon receiving the voice message and its reproduction time informationfrom the counterpart device through the connector 61 and the RS232C 60.(S31), the MICOM 50 stores them in the memory 52 (S32). Then, theconnection established between the two devices is disconnected (S33),and at the same time, the MICOM 50 starts to compare the present timewhich is counted by the clock unit 30 with the reproduction time of themessage in the memory 52 (S34). (In case where the reproduction time ofthe received message is equal to the time when the message is receivedover the connection, the subsequent operations for reproduction of themessage are performed, with the connection established.) When it isdetermined that the present time is equal to the reproduction time(S51), the voice message is read out from the memory 52 (S52) and issent to the decoder 70 under control of the MICOM 50. The voice signaldecompressed and decoded by the decoder 70 is supplied to the D/Aconverter 80.

The analog signal from the D/A converter 80 is inputted to the speakerthrough the driving amplifier 81 (S53). As a result, persons carryingthe portable device which is equipped with the apparatus of the presentinvention listen to the voice message that is received from the partner,at a desired specific time.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the message exchanging apparatusaccording to the present invention. This embodiment differs from theforegoing embodiment of FIG. 2 in that, instead of the connector 61 andthe RS232C 60, an RF communication unit 100 (RF receiver 101 and REtransmitter 102) and aninterface (I/F) unit 103 are used for wirelesscommunication through an antenna, and that a sound is additionallystored in the flash memory 51.

The embodiment of FIG. 3 will be described below in detail withreference to the flow charts of FIGS. 4 and 5.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the voice message and its correspondingreproduction time are stored in the memory 52 through the same routineof S1 to S4 as that of the foregoing embodiment.

Unlike the foregoing embodiment of FIG. 2, in the embodiment of FIG. 3,the RF transmitter 102 broadcasts an RF signal containing its own IDcode in the flash memory 51 at a transmission power level, so thatdevices-of the same kind, which is equipped with the apparatus of thepresent invention, within about 100 meters can detect the RF signal.Such high transmission power enables the other device to detect thepresence of a device, of the same kind which is designated as thecounterpart device within rather a long distance.

While broadcasting the RF signal containing the ID code, if a device ofthe same kind is present within a distance of about 100 meters, the RFreceiver 101 receives an RF signal broadcast from the other device.Then, a comparison is made by the MICOM 50 as to whether or not the IDcode of the counterpart device kept in the flash memory is matched withthe ID code contained in the received RF signal. If they are matched,the MICOM 50 sends the sound data in the flash memory 51 to the decoder70. The decoded sound data is supplied to the speaker through the D/Aconverter 80 and the driving amplifier 81, letting persons carrying thedevice of the present invention know that they are close to each other.

As the two devices which are in one-to-one correspondence with eachother get closer, the power of signal induced in the RF receiver 101increases. When the distance between them becomes equal to apredetermined value, say, 30 cm, the MICOM 50 become aware of thepresence of the counterpart device within a range of 30 cm through theRF receiver 101 and the I/F unit 103.

If a signal is detected in the RF receiver, power of which is greaterthan a predetermined level (a power level that can be detected within adistance of 30 cm at a preset transmission power), the RF receiver 101demodulates the detected signal (S11). The demodulated signal isconverted to digital data by the I/F unit 103 and then the data is sentto the MICOM 50.

The MICOM 50 makes a comparison as to whether or not the ID codecontained in the data is matched with the ID code of the counterpartdevice in the flash memory 51 (S12). When it is determined that both IDcodes are matched (S21), the voice message in the memory 52 and itsreproduction time information are, if any, fed to the I/F unit 103, inwhich they are converted to a serial data. Then, the serial data issupplied to the RF transmitter 103, in which they are modulated into anRF signal so that the resulting RF signal is broadcast through theantenna at a predetermined transmission power (a power level that can bedetected within a range of 30 cm) (S22) Accordingly, The counterpartdevice receives the message and its reproduction time information, andin turn sends, if any, its own message through the same routine of S11to S22. In this way, messages and their reproduction time informationare exchanged between the two corresponding portable devices through awireless communication.

Once the reception of the voice message through the RF receiver 101 iscompleted (S31), the message is stored in the memory 52 by control ofthe MICOM 50, along with its reproduction time information (S32). Thesubsequent operations such as the time comparison (S34, S51) andreproduction of the voice message (S52, S53) are performed in the sameway as those of the foregoing embodiment.

The foregoing is provided only for the purpose of illustration andexplanation of the preferred embodiments of the present invention;therefore changes, variations and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for exchanging messages betweenportable devices of the same kind, comprising: a means for inputtingsignal containing message; a means for entering a desired reproductiontime of the message; a means for storing the inputted message and theentered reproduction time; a means for communicating data with anotherportable device; a means for checking for signals from another portabledevice and for checking, based upon receipt of a signal beingtransmitted from another portable device through said communicatingmeans, whether or not said another portable device is a device of thesame kind which is designated as the counterpart device for exchangingwith each other; a means for generating a sound if said another portabledevice is identified as the counterpart device for exchanging with eachother, and the level of the received signal exceeds a first level; and ameans for transmitting data containing the message and its reproductiontime stored in said storing means to said another portable device whensaid another portable device is identified as the counterpart device forexchanging with each other based upon the signal being received fromsaid another device and the level of the signal being received from saidanother portable device exceeds a second level which is higher than thefirst level.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the messageis voice data.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:a means for broadcasting an RF signal containing its own ID code at apredetermined power level; a means for receiving data, through saidcommunicating means, from another portable device identified as thecounterpart device for exchanging with each other; a means for storingthe received data; a means for providing present time; a means forchecking whether or not a reproduction time of a message which isincluded in the received data corresponds to the present time; and ameans for reproducing the message in the stored data, based on the checkresult.
 4. A method for exchanging messages between portable devices ofthe same kind, comprising the steps of: storing a message and itsreproduction time to be transmitted to other portable device; checkingbased upon receipt of a signal being transmitted from another portabledevice, whether or not said another portable device is a device of thesame kind which is designated as the counterpart device for exchangingwith each other; generating a sound if said another portable device isidentified as the counterpart device for exchanging with each other, andthe level of the received signal exceeds a first level; and transmittingthe stored message and its reproduction time to said another portabledevice, when said another portable device is identified as thecounterpart device for exchanging with each other based upon a signalbeing received from said another device and the level of the signalbeing received from said another portable device exceeds a second levelwhich is higher than the first level.
 5. A method according to claim 4,further comprising the steps of: broadcasting an RF signal containingits own ID code at a predetermined power level; receiving a message andits reproduction time from the portable device identified as thecounterpart device for exchanging with each other; storing the receivedmessage and its reproduction time; checking whether or not the storedreproduction time corresponds to present time; and reproducing thestored message based on the check result.